1. Technical Field
The present invention generally pertains to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a hinge assembly for a vehicle door. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a hinge assembly for a vehicle door which creates a conically shaped path for the door axis of rotation to follow. As the vehicle door is opened, the door axis of rotation shifts away from the vehicle.
2. Discussion
The passenger doors of motor vehicles are typically installed with conventional hinge assemblies that permit pivotal movement of the door between an open position and a closed position. The conventional hinge assemblies function to interconnect the passenger door and a body of the vehicle. Typically, motor vehicle doors pivot relative to the vehicle body about a fixed axis of rotation. While conventional doors have functioned adequately in the past, doors pivoting about fixed axes of rotation impose significant design limitations.
Most conventional doors of motor vehicles include hinges positioned as close to the forward edge of the door as possible. Because it is impractical to mount a hinge at the very edge of the door, there is a portion of the door located between the forward edge of the door and the hinge that must necessarily rotate inwardly toward the vehicle as the door is being opened. Accordingly, vehicle doors and other components which are positioned near the forward edge of the door are designed to provide clearance for the inwardly swinging portion of the door previously described. As such, vehicle designers have often been forced to compromise styling and aesthetic appearance in order to provide operating clearances for the door and exterior body cladding located on the door.
Conventional hinge assemblies also have limited opportunities to improve ingress and egress of occupants. As a door with a conventional hinge is opened, the forward edge of the door rotates toward the passenger compartment. The forward edge intrusion limits the total number of degrees the door may rotate from a closed position to a fully opened position. Design concerns relating to vehicle stiffness and impact resistance often limit the amount of space that may be dedicated for door clearance. Accordingly, vehicle door swings of up to 90 degrees are generally not available.